High Five for Friday!

1. My husband started his job this week and I was sad he wouldn't let me take a first day of work picture to go with all the first day of school pictures out there...he told me no...oh well, I'm still proud of him and excited for him!

2. I started working with my daughter this week and worked on her routine that I've got set in place...she's doing pretty good with it, me on the other hand...I'm having trouble getting back into my routine. It's been a fun a week though!

3. We took family pictures the other night and I can't wait to see how they turned out! As long as my kids are cute that's all I care about :)

4. My daughter and I spontaneously played in her sprinkler yesterday. It's hot here despite college football starting and pumpkin spice being back at Starbucks. She can't stand getting her face wet which defeats the purpose of a sprinkler but we still had fun.

5. I'm obsessed with Americanos from Starbucks (I think I've mentioned this before)...in fact I may pack up the kids and go get one after I post this...but I love trying different flavors in the drink like vanilla or caramel. I don't have a "regular" drink just yet but once I find the right one I will. Plus the Americanos are good because they don't have very many calories and I get it with sugar free syrup and non-fat milk...although I do get an extra shot of espresso for a nice pick me up!

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend and a great Labor Day!

Bad Days, Good Days

As most stay at home moms know the title of my blog is very true...you have some bad days and you have some good days. So far I'm happy to say I've had more good days than bad but yesterday was not a good day.

I've started working with my daughter on her numbers, letters, colors, etc. I've been trying to incorporate some Bible stories and playing more together because I would let her watch TV all morning before. I'm not against TV, I let her watch some after lunch before her nap and she loves Disney movies but I felt I wasn't interacting with her very much and I wanted more one on one time with her so I decided to teach her some things and play with her more. It seems as though she would rather play...makes sense, she is two and a half. She talks about school all the time and I have a feeling she won't want to be home schooled since she talks about wanting to ride the bus and go bye bye. No matter what we decide to do schooling wise I am enjoying this extra play time with her...even if she isn't in the mood every day to learn...

I am working on trying to get her to listen more. I know with this age kids can push the limits when it comes to listening but it is something I want and need to work on with her. Yesterday she didn't listen very well and my son seemed to be extra clingy so it was pretty crazy. She's also started talking back a little and when I hear it she immediately goes in time out. I've watched way too many Super Nanny shows. I think some of her ideas are good and can work but with all kids it's a matter of staying consistent. I have to admit I'm bad at that but I am working on it. It's just that sometimes the things my daughter does and says is pretty funny...my husband has a hard time not laughing, I know I do too. She will learn. She has good qualities though that I love! I don't want to talk bad about her or make her out seem like a bad kid...it's just kids and it's just parents needing to work together!

I love being a stay at home. I really do. As of right now I don't feel the need to want to work at all...I know some moms take on a part time job to get out for a bit but I haven't felt like that...yet. Ha! I love having this time with my kids. I love instilling things in their lives, even if I have a bad day, it still gets through to them.

So today we are taking a day off...we are going to play, have fun, be lazy...we can all use days like this. I don't want to take any time I have with my kids for granted and being upset or annoyed takes time away...it's going to happen, I know that. I'm tired and wish I could get a few extra hours of sleep but it's time to be positive and look at the good in my life as opposed to the bad because bad days come and go but the memories we make last a lifetime!

The VMAs

I figured everyone was talking about this, I might as well give my two cents.

I've seen a lot of status updates, tweets, a lot of blog posts being shared on this topic of the VMAs that were on Sunday night and it's pretty crazy all the attention that's being given to this award show. I've watched the VMAs before or even the MTV movie awards...I hate to say I've watched them but they always suck me in by having some surprise like Sundays awards...NSYNC was supposed to be making an appearance and a movie I want to see was supposed to have a trailer shown. I'm sure the network knows what they are doing when they put things out like this...the good thing about having a DVR though is that you can fast forward, which is what I did for most of this award show. Unfortunately, I did see some of the Miley Cyrus fiasco...

My first thought is, what were people expecting? This is MTV. They do something crazy on every awards show...Kanye takes the mic from Taylor Swift, Sasha Baron Cohen flys into the auditorium and lands, butt first on Eminem, someone usually runs up on stage and has to be escorted off...something controversial happens every time so why should this be any different than this last show? Yes, Miley was on the Disney Channel and she made wholesome shows but that was the character she played and the person she is in real life are, obviously, very different. I'm not going to make excuses for her but she is a young teenager that has been in the spotlight most of her life. At some point, if put in situations, I'm sure these young actors have the opportunity to get rebellious. More than anything what happened the other night is being talked about and that is perfect for publicity. She does have a new album coming out and reading today Robin Thicke just had a new video come out and it was pretty much everything that happened on stage minus Miley. All for show.

My daughter is two and a half. I thought it was cute when Beyonce was on the super bowl and my daughter was trying to dance exactly how she was...if she was 16 trying to dance like that she would be grounded. I can't say what will happen or the fights me and my daughter will have when she's older about clothes or what not but I do know that I will be trying to my hardest to make sure she has good role models in her life. I want to have the kind of relationship with my daughter that is open and honest. No, I don't want to be only her "best friend" but I want to explain to her the difference between a role model and a celebrity. If my daughter is looking up someone like Miley Cyrus then that is my own fault for not telling her how to be. I want to explain to my daughter that celebrities are normal people, they will make mistakes and do some stupid things but because society has set them on such a high pedestal they are made into role models and we are told to do what they do. It always annoyed me that people would ask celebrities how it felt to be a role model, in a way I felt sorry for them. There are some celebrities that are literally doing something they love and you never hear about their personal life and they are role models just as much as the crazy ones...they never asked for it but it's a society thing. I think it is our responsibility as parents to help our kids see the differences. Miley's parents clearly don't care what she does and that's on them. I'm not her mom. I can control what my children do though and when the time comes I will help them understand.

My Blog...My Life

I normally don't write on the weekend. I try to leave those days open for family but it is 1:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. This happens a lot on Saturdays...I'm not sure why. So here I sit, watching House Hunters International, writing. They say when inspiration hits you should write it down...well, I've had a very long week and would love to be asleep right now but that's not going to happen so I will write, because I'm inspired? Yes, sounds good.

I love blogging. I love sharing things about my life with friends and family (and complete strangers if they stumble upon this blog). I love writing as well. I know I'm not the greatest writer. I know I probably have a ton of run on sentences, my grammar isn't the best, and I know I use way too many exclamation points but I love writing. When I first started my weight loss blog a few years ago it wasn't working. There is only so much you can say on a daily basis. Sure I could share recipes or some new work outs I was doing but promising to write every day was too much. I started reading some blogs and found that everyone is different (obviously) and this is MY blog which means I can make the rules. Silly me, why didn't I think of that earlier? So I started over, deleted my weight loss blog and came up with this one, Beginning New Chapters. I thought it would be good to name my blog because I would be, starting new chapters, new phases in my life. I was having a second baby, I would be quitting my job and staying home with my children, my husband would be starting his nursing job with varying hours...basically I would be starting a lot of new chapters that I wanted to share.

I say all of this because I wasn't sure where I wanted this blog to go. I didn't want it to be all about beauty because everyone knows I am no expert when it comes to that. I didn't want it to be about fashion because again...no expert here but I knew I could write about life experiences. I always tend to over share things in my life and this blog has helped and is helping me with that. I'm sure it's not the best to over share but I've always felt if I've gone through something or there is something that has helped me and I can share it with others and help them then I've accomplished my goal!

I titled this post my blog, my life...not because this blog is my life but I guess in a way it is. I share with you the things going on with my husband, my kids, my family...those in my life. I share with you the fun things that go on and the sad things that go on. I finally feel I know what I want this blog to be about. I mentioned in a post when I first started writing that I wanted to share stay at home mom experiences, a few recipes that my family loved, items I love...a little bit of everything! I will be sharing, in the weeks to come, more exciting news. Business ventures. Goals, personal and family. I will have my "favorites" posts, my "High Five for Friday" posts and of course general posts that will hopefully make you think, laugh or just plain enjoy. I don't want this to sound like I'm starting over because I've liked everything I've posted up to this point. You should see the drafts I've done or the deleted posts in my trash. I start writing and think oh no one will want to read about that but that's something I'm learning; I'm not writing this blog to get readers or followers or comments. I'm writing so I have something to look back on. Memories. Some people are creative and they can scrap book, take pictures but me, I like (want) to write. I love looking back at old posts and seeing where I was and where I am now. I haven't been writing very long but it's been a great experience and I can't wait to write more. Thank you to all those that do read my blog. I hope in some way it brightens your day!

High Five for Friday!

It's been a pretty good week. This was our last week of fun, in a way...my husband starts his new job next week and my daughter and I will be starting her "schooling." Can't wait for next week!

1. My daughter is finally potty trained!! I can finally put her diapers away and now we only need to buy one box instead of two. I'm so proud of her and can't believe how quick she picked up on it. She's growing up so fast!

2. Sort of bittersweet but my son has moved to sleeping in his crib. We got it all set up and he seems to be doing well in it. It's funny how you are with a second child...my daughter went in her crib around 6-7 months, my son is not even 4 months and he's already in his crib! He's growing up quick too!

3. I tried a local food truck in our area this week, Zombie Dogz, and they were amazing! I can't wait to find them again and try something else. My husband knows the owners and they are so nice. I'm happy the truck seems to be doing well. I see a lot of people that love them on Facebook so good for them! I hope their success continues. I know I will be back soon.

4. I got to watch my friends puppy for a night...well, I went over and let him out and eat a little but still...he is the cutest thing ever!! Puppies are adorable and their little guy is great. He's so sweet and precious. I'm going to make my way to their house a lot to see him.

5. My 10 year class reunion is tonight. Oh my goodness...it's been 10 years! I am excited to see everyone again.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Daily Makeup

I'm not a make up artist and I didn't go to school for it but I love make up and love trying new things.

I thought I would share what I use on a daily basis. As a mom it can be tough to shower or get ready for the day but I found that if I'm up before the kids I have a chance to get myself ready and I feel better during the day. I haven't been doing very good at this during the summer but with school starting up and my family getting back into a routine I plan on using these make up tools daily.

Here is a picture of what I use. It looks like a lot but I will explain how I use each item.

1. Avon Magix Face Perfector. This works great on days that I want my make up to stay on. I mean, I want my make up to stay on every day but this helps in humid weather. I don't use it every day but if I'm going out I usually wear it. It helps keep my make up flawless.

2. Clinique Even Better foundation. This foundation does exactly what it says it does. I've talked about it in one of my "favorites" blogs and I love wearing this. It corrects and evens out my skin and it goes on so weightlessly. I love that I don't feel like I'm wearing a ton of make up and it's not caked on.

3. I put my eye shadow on next and I use either one of these ELF eye shadow compacts or my Naked 2 palette. I really only use that if I'm going out somewhere. I always wear a neutral eye but if I'm going out I will do a darker smokey eye.

4. I love mascara! I just got this Maybelline mascara. Illegal Lengths. So far I like it. I wear two mascaras because I like getting length and volume. So I also wear falsies mascara by Maybelline. Wearing both makes my lashes pop and I like that the mascara doesn't get clumpy and it comes off easily when I wash my face. I like to apply a couple coats of each and I like that it looks like I'm wearing fake eyelashes but I'm not because I struggle to put those on...one day I am going to get it right but for now my mascaras work great.

5. I sometimes use an eye lash curler, only if I'm looking for more dramatic eyes.

6. I use Benefit's erase paste to cover up dark circles under my eyes and around my nose. This stuff is great!

7. I use Rimmel's Stay Matte powder to finish off my look. I love this also because it takes away any shine my face may have and it stays on most of the day.

8. I don't use it every day but I sometimes use my ELF bronzer to give my face some color.

9. I have three brushes I use. I use my Avon foundation brush, my Avon eye shadow brush that has three brushes in one and my ELF powder brush to put the powder and bronzer on.

10. I will sometimes put a lip gloss on or chapstick...again, depends on what I'm doing for the day. I am not a huge fan of lipstick...mainly because I find it hard to find a color that looks good on me. I have a nude color and a bright coral color that I will mix together to give a color that works on me but for the most part I hate buying a lipstick and then it looks awful on me...I haven't had much luck in that department so I tend to stick to glosses or chapsticks. I have found a few lipstains I like but again those can be tough as well. More power to the lipstick wearers out there! I wish I knew your secret!

My make up is pretty basic. I can put it on in 15 minutes or less. I do use a brown liner to fill in my eyebrows at times but not all the time. That liner I have in the picture is very old and I can't see who it's by...just find something that matches your color and go with it!

I have very light skin so most of my make up is fair to light. The only thing with some color is the bronzer.

There's my daily make up! If you have any questions about any of the make up let me know.

High Five for Friday!

It's been a crazy week!!

1. I made a confession last week that I like to make lists and all that, well, now I've taken my weirdness to a whole new level. Whenever I go to the grocery store I try very hard to find my "favorite" cart. I know...I'm strange...but let me tell ya...this cart is the best! It goes straight, it doesn't wobble, doesn't make noise...it's perfect. So yes, this week I found my cart at the store!

2. I start my 3 day Shakeology cleanse tomorrow so I'm making some cookies for our family dinner tonight. I'm not saying I am going to go crazy eating these cookies but they are pretty yummy. Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies...mmmm

 

3. My husband's family came in to town and we spent some time with them on Monday and we are getting together today as well. I love that my kids have a chance to get together with all their cousins. There are 9 of them and when they all get together it's crazy but still a lot of fun!

 

4. I have fallen in love with Americanos. I think I've mentioned them before but now I'm getting good at ordering what I want. Today I got a 4 shot grande americano with sugar free cinnamon dolce. Delicious!

 

5. My husband and I went to a Reds game with my parents Tuesday night. I actually really like going to games. I love the stadium hot dogs and the general atmosphere at games. One day we will try to take our kids to a game but for now it's fun to go without them. :-)

 

Have a great weekend!

Motivation Returns!

After a few days I feel like my motivation has finally returned!

I hadn't actually worked out for a few days and I woke up this morning and did it. I might not have done it though if it wasn't for my son waking up at 5:30 to eat but I got my work out in! I actually like doing it in the morning or during the day better than at night but I try to fit it whenever I can. I also like that I'm not putting a ton of pressure on myself this time around with working out and losing weight. I want it to be a lifestyle change and mistakes will be made...it is what it is but I feel like today I am on track! Plus I feel more productive when I get up early.

This week is extra fun because one of my husband's sisters is in town and she brought her four kids to stay with his parents while her and her husband go to a conference. I love that my kids have a lot of cousins to hang out with. There are nine kids between us all on his side! And more with the extended family! `

Well, time to get motivated again...I'm off to get some house work done and spend some time with the kids! I hope everyone is having a great day and a great week!! Stay motivated and don't get too down on yourself if you are a little lazy...it's ok to take a break sometimes!

High Five for Friday!

It's been a slow week but that's good! We have family in town next week so it will be a busy but fun week!

1. I finally gave in and tried an Americano from Starbucks. I added white mocha syrup to it and its actually pretty tasty. Strong but I like strong coffee. I need something to keep me awake during those early mornings with the baby!

2. I know this sounds crazy and probably makes me weird but I've mentioned on Facebook before about how I like making up the menu and grocery list each week...I had some down time and did that yesterday and I always have this sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. I like making lists too so it works out well for me! I love grocery shopping...I'm pretty cool!

3. I love Goodwill! I've found some pretty good clothes this week for me and the kids. You just never know what you're going to find when you go there but it's been a good week!

4. My son turned 3 months old and he is precious! He smiles all the time and is trying so hard to lift his head up when he's on his belly. He's getting there and he's growing up so fast!

5. We cleaned out the garage this week to get ready for a garage sale and I found my waffle iron. I am so excited to make waffles! Plus I found a way to make hashbrowns using the waffle iron on Pinterest. We will see if that really works but I can't wait to have brunch tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!